Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past 24 hours.
Artigiano has opened a new flagship location in Vancouver under a new concept and has plans to expand. The brand’s new concept includes an evening program starting at 4pm where it will provide food and drinks to fill a gap in Vancouver’s evening dining scene.
Dean Shillington
The new Vancouver flagship is in Yaletown as it was chosen to reestablish Artigiano’s presence in this area of the city. This location will be the first to include the new Artigiano bar evening concept, offering both daytime cafe service and will transform into a European inspired bar at 4pm. The Yaletown location allows the brand to showcase its coffee program, food offerings, and the new evening experience all in one place.
“This is the future of Artigiano, and Yaletown is the perfect location to kickstart this exciting new direction for the brand. We wanted to ensure that we channeled an Italian aperitivo atmosphere with great drinks, light snacks, and a fun ambiance for our guests to enjoy right in the heart of their city. We can’t wait to welcome everyone to enjoy a daytime coffee or an evening drink,” says Dean Shillington, president and owner of Artigiano.
Artigiano Yaletown (Image: Artigiano)
“With the evening concept, at 4pm it turns into a European inspired aperitivo bar. We feature hand-rolled pizzas, small plates and desserts, with a selection of specialty cocktails and Italian wines with all bottles being 50 per cent off daily between four to six pm. Our signature cocktails include the espresso martini and negronis made with Artigiano private reserve espresso, the Aperol Spritz, and a smooth Earl Grey Sour made with our organic tea.”
Local support – murals and live music
Artigiano Yaletown (Image: Artigiano)
As part of its rebranding, Shillington says the brand will also be supporting local artists by showcasing live music and entertainment.
“As part of our rebrand, we do these murals in each of our cafes to really be inspired by the local community around it, and we always use local artists to go do these murals. Our cups now feature these murals too, showcasing the local art done in each of our cafes. We believe this truly adds to our space and also highlights local talent. I like talking about this as it showcases the local artists and programs we have to try and raise funds for local artists.” “At the same time with this bar concept, we are tapping into live music and entertainment as much as possible. So as we go forward, I look forward to getting more involved in the music community as well, giving them another stage to showcase their talent to our customers.”
This new approach allows Artigiano to support the local art scene while creating a unique atmosphere that reflects each community it’s in.
Check out the latest Yaletown views in downtown Vancouver at the SideSignal Collective.
Expansion plans moving forward
Artigiano Yaletown (Image: Artigiano
“Our goal this year is to add five new locations for the system, so Yaletown is the first of those with more coming in the second half of the year. We have been working hard to revitalize the brand in the Vancouver market. We are expanding into the Lower Mainland quite aggressively, and we have locations on Vancouver Island and Calgary, with plans to go beyond our provinces over the coming 12 months.”
Shillington says there will be three program variations: A purely cafe program where the cafe will have a focus on coffee and food offerings, Artigiano bar concept such as the new Yaletown location, and a partial bar concept where it will be offering a mix of daytime cafe and evening bar services.
“When I first purchased the brand four or five years ago, it seemed like an obvious opportunity to us to build our loyal customers, something different, and something that we felt was going to be a good alignment. The folks who come to us over the years are less likely to be looking for a club scene – they want to have a very chill environment to go to and enjoy some live music, go somewhere in the community that feels more likely, and have some good food. We really saw an important opportunity for us and we just don’t see anything like it.”
Cozey Vancouver Pop-up 810 Granville Street, Vancouver (Image: Cozey)
Furniture brand Cozey has opened a pop-up location in Vancouver as it continues to expand its physical retail footprint in Canada.
Frédéric Aubé, founder of the brand, started the furniture retail idea when he was a student at McGill University in Montreal studying finance and economics. The idea began in 2019 and the brand was launched initially online in June 2020.
Frédéric Aubé
The concept was purely digital until about a year ago when it opened a pop-up location at Stackt Market in Toronto. It opened its first store in Toronto on Queen St and Ossington Avenue in March in 3,600 square feet of space in March of this year.
“It’s been a tremendous success so far. It’s pretty amazing to see. It’s our first permanent store and it was really a test for us to see whether we wanted to go into physical retail or not and learn the ropes. But so far it’s been a great success,” he said.
“So we’re going to dive into even more retail locations in the future across Canada and the U.S. as well.”
Cozey Vancouver Pop-up (Image: Cozey)Cozey Vancouver Pop-up (Image: Cozey)Cozey Vancouver Pop-up (Image: Cozey)
Aubé said the Toronto market initially appealed to the brand because it was its largest market on ecommerce. Toronto is also a city that does well with its concept – modular, small and easy to maneuver products.
“It’s a product that does very well in Toronto and we said if we’re going to launch a store let’s do it in our biggest market and we picked a spot where we thought our customers like to go. Not just live in but like to go on week nights, on weekends. That’s why the location was perfect for us,” he added.
Cozey has launched a pop-up in Vancouver on Granville Street and Robson Street in 3,000 square feet of space.
“It’s one of our biggest markets but one of the markets that we did not put a lot of effort in. We’re Montreal based. We did a pop-up last year in Toronto. But the western market we didn’t really pay attention to it before this pop-up,” he said. “So it’s our first chance to really connect with our customers, connect with new customers, connect with the community and really drive awareness and conversion in the market. But it’s one of our largest. We just haven’t gotten involved that much. We think connecting will drive even more customers to Cozey.
“This is a pop-up for now but we’re looking for a permanent location for 2025 or 2026 in Vancouver.
“The sky’s the limit for Cozey. In the short term, we want to make sure that we do things right. We’re a profitable company growing very fast and we don’t want to lose tons of money on retail either. We want to do things right, carefully plan out the expansion. We’ll start out with Canada because it’s our biggest market but 2026 and beyond the U.S. is a market that we’re doing really well in as well and we will launch stores in big metropolitan areas.”
Cozey is represented by Oberfeld Snowcap for its real estate needs.
Cozey Vancouver Pop-up 810 Granville Street, Vancouver (Image: Cozey)Cozey Vancouver Pop-up 810 Granville Street, Vancouver (Image: Cozey)
In a previous Retail Insider story, Aubé said:“The idea for Cozey at first was just to create one simple sofa, elegant, easy to move, in boxes that could be assembled tool free, shipped to your door in a few days at a really attractive price point.
“It was a test to see if other people had the same problem as me of moving sofas around in a move or assembling sofas that take four tools and 12 bolts. And if so, can I sell those sofas on the internet.
“It was one sofa, four colours, really simple. And that’s how it started.”
Cozey at 1026 Queen St W in Toronto (Image: Cozey)
Aubé said there’s a combination of reasons why the concept has resonated with consumers.
“Our value proposition, the quality we have for the price of our furniture I think is unbeatable in Canada. I think our approach to customer experience as well, the fast shipping, the risk free trial, our attention to customer service. All that together with the design of the products that are smart products that are thought for the customers, all of that I think make us a winning combination for customers in North America so far.”
By Liza Amlani and Raj Dhiman, Retail Strategy Group
Acquiring customers isn’t costly, losing them is. And, they can be lost when a company fails to deliver on what the customer is looking for.
But, why should that even happen in the first place? Especially since companies can get more information and insights about their customers than ever before.
The issue is twofold:
First, customer insights commonly reside in the bailiwick of marketing. Doesn’t matter where the insights come from, a loyalty program for example. These are viewed as a tool for marketing, creating customer segments and delivering targeted offers.
Second, different functions within an organization are often focused on different (and sometimes competing) goals. As such, functions don’t share information with one another that can help elevate the brand as a whole.
For retailers and brands, this is exemplified by the disconnected relationship between marketing and merchandising. They operate in isolation and only come together when a product assortment has been finalized.
Image: Ulta Beauty
The problem is that the customer is dynamic. Therefore, insights about the customer need to be fed back to merchandising to inform product creation. But, as described above, there is no opportunity to do so before the products are ready to hit the shop floor.
Brands then find themselves in trouble by putting either too many or irrelevant products into their assortment. Customers don’t buy the products and the brand sits on excess inventory which needs to be cleared out at a discount. This in turn hurts profitability and gross margins.
The trick here is for companies to change how they view insights and loyalty programs. No longer are they just marketing tools, they are tools for product creation. Brands can use the data they have on hand to conduct focus groups, cut underperforming products, and validate new offerings.
We offer three examples showcasing how insights can drive profitable assortment decisions.
First, ULTA Beauty’s success is reflective of the connection between marketing and merchandising. In fact, according to Business of Fashion, 96% of ULTA Beauty’s sales come from loyalty program members. Personalized marketing and product recommendations translate to sales. Further, merchandising teams track purchasing behaviour to inform product assortments and allocation strategies.
Second, the puzzle maker Jiggy discovered the value of using direct, loyalty insights. At first, the intention of the loyalty program was to drive repeat purchases. As membership grew, the CEO of Jiggy (Kaylin Marcotte) would call customers to ask them what was important to them in the product mix. Kaylin refers to her loyalty program members as her focus group. She pulls insights from her data and then follows up with customers for real-time conversations. Kaylin then forms new offerings based on that feedback. As such, she hedges the bet in her favor that customers will buy from her informed product assortment.
Finally, Coach used customer testing to become the top handbag brand for female teens in the US. The Tabby Bag is an example of taking an archived style and using insights to make it a powerhouse product. The bag was inspired by a style from the 1970’s and developed using Gen Z customer validation and testing. Only when the initial release of the bag proved to be a hit did design get the green light to develop new versions. These versions have different sizes, materials and price points. As they are developed, they are tested with customers to ensure Coach was hitting the mark. The brand generated demand with a target demographic and is poised to create a new segment of loyal customers.
In all three examples, connecting the insights about the customer to product creation proves to be a success.
Conclusion
The importance of data and customer insights for brands and retailers cannot be understated. However, the true power of that information does not lie in the information itself. Instead, organizational issues must be overcome. Namely, for data to not just reside with marketing and for the insights to be fed back to product creation. This way, products are created that customers truly want and brands can drive profitability and preserve gross margins.
Bio
Liza Amlani X Raj Dhiman
Liza Amlani and Raj Dhiman are Co-Founders of Retail Strategy Group. The firm works with retailers and brands, helping them to improve profitability and increase organizational effectiveness. Even in turbulent times, market leading brands turn to Retail Strategy Group to deliver breakthrough results.
Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past 24 hours.
Ledingham McAllister is bringing a brand new era of thoughtful living to the City of Burnaby.
Southgate City, a revolutionary 60-acre master planned community in the Edmonds neighborhood, is one of Canada’s most significant and largest communities of its kind.
The project will eventually comprise 12,500 homes, more than 33,000 residents and up to 400,000 square feet of retail and office space.
Public amenities will include a five-acre central park, a 60,000-square-foot public plaza, five kilometres of bike paths, eight kilometres of pedestrian paths and a new community centre.
Image: Southgate CityImage: Southgate City
Dan Clark, Partner at Sitings Realty Ltd., which is leasing the retail and office aspects of the development, said a Safeway (50,850 square feet) will open the first phase of retail at Southgate City, joined by TD Bank (6,868 square feet) and CEFA Early Learning (20,817 square feet).
Dan Clark
There’s also a small food and beverage unit of about 1,270 square feet to be leased in the first phase.
“We have roughly 25,000 square feet of second floor retail/medical space that we can see being leased to physiotherapists, dentists, specialty medical, small and mid format fitness operators. Retail that can thrive in a second-floor setting and take benefit of the slightly reduced rents in comparison to ground floor space,” said Clark.
Future Safeway (Image: Southgate City)Image: Southgate City
The first phase of the commercial part of the overall development will be under construction soon with businesses expected to be open by 2028.
Clark is working with Nancy Bayly, Vice President, also of Sitings, to lease the project.
“I think we’re seeking everyday best in class service oriented tenants. So it’s more basic needs type of retail – grocery, pharmacy, liquor store, dental, medical, fitness. A typical grocery-anchored shopping centre lineup,” said Clark.
“Everyone, as a part of the neighbourhood that they’re living in, they want to have their grocery store. This site used to be home to the Safeway distribution centre. So they’re coming back into the property in a retail capacity which is great.”
The project, adjacent to the Edmonds SkyTrain Station, will include 26 highrise and 17 lowrise buildings with about 11 million square feet of residential area.
The SkyTrain has average daily riders of 23,833 on Monday to Friday and 13,372 average daily riders on weekends and holidays.
Image: Southgate City
The total trade area had a population of 87,435 in 2022. And it’s projected to continue to grow to 120,304 in 2025, 160,830 in 2030 and 175,544 in 2035.
“The interesting thing about this area is that it’s going to consist on buildout of 12,500 homes and upwards of 33,000 residents in 60 acres. Very dense. It’s a city. It’s larger than many small city’s/towns in the province,” said Clark.
“It’s a great setting. A new residential community. It will be a great place to live within Burnaby.”
Canadian-based fast-food chain Mary Brown’s Chicken recently opened a new prototype location in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.
The innovative concept is characterized by a spacious 2,500-square-foot interior.
The company said the interiors are outfitted with a cutting-edge design featuring an open dining room with high ceilings and focuses on ample glazing to maximize natural lighting.
Other features of the prototype store include a drive-thru and it adopts the innovative T-line back-of-house kitchen concept which aims to optimize operational efficiencies.
Image: Mary Brown’s Chicken
Exterior elements and a spacious patio, an extension of the interior dining room, have been enhanced to align with Mary Brown’s branding to ensure a cohesive visual identity.
“It’s stunning. It’s gorgeous. It’s a standalone building. It’s 2,800 square feet with an interior of about 2,500 (square feet) useable space,” said Liza Dournayan, Senior Director, Design and Construction.
“It’s everything we dreamed of building for our one of a kind, sort of our prototype store, our anchor store. It’s got unique features. It’s a standalone building. It has a designated patio with a drive-thru. It has a nice wide sort of free open dining area.
“Our main concern is our guests and that quality of experience above the food, the amazing food we serve. The design of the building is unique to Mary Brown’s.”
The company, which is based in Markham, Ontario, has 265 locations across the country. It began in 1969 in Newfoundland.
“By the end of the year, I hope to reach 280,” said Dournayan. “We’re targeting about 40 to 50 a year.”
Image: Mary Brown’s Chicken
Dournayan said the Wetaskiwin location was a brand new build which opened in June.
“We had the opportunity to build there and the way the cards fell that became our first prototype store. We had a landlord that was willing to work with us. And they built the site up for us based on our drawings. It was a great union. We worked well together. That’s where our first prototype was born,” she said, adding that the plan going forward is to have more stores like this one.
“We have provisions for more of these stores. It’s finding the right location and the right partners and we have prospects to build as many prototypes as we possibly can.”
Dournayan said the location is designed to flow the way the company feels an ideal store should replicate.
“When you walk in, you have a large dining room and then we have focal point of purchase or cash desk area with our digital screens and that’s where our guests walk up and place their order. We also have a full drive-thru system and a patio on the exterior,” she said.
In the back are two lines supplying and producing food – one to accommodate the drive-thru area and one for the interior for guests.
“It follows all of our colour schemes, our brand. It’s a replica of our brand ideal and our colours. We basically have a complimentary colour scheme of the blue and the orange. It’s a play with colours and our design and it just represents that Canadian Mary Brown’s culture that we’re spreading across Canada.”
The expansion includes the goal of entering the Quebec market within the next two years with the potential of having between 80 to 100 overall. The first locations will most likely be in and around Montreal.
Many individuals may not fully appreciate the extent to which the world can be excessively noisy, bright, and sensorily aggressive. For most, visiting public spaces like grocery stores or restaurants is a routine experience. While some people seek out intense sensory experiences, with loud music and vibrant lights, for others—such as parents of autistic children, seniors yearning for tranquility while engaging with their community, or anyone desiring a serene environment for daily tasks—the world can seem distinctly unwelcoming.
Recognizing this, an increasing number of retailers, including Walmart, and dining establishments like St-Hubert, are introducing sensory-friendly hours. Similarly, grocers like Sobeys are following suit. During these designated times, wall-mounted televisions display static images, the radio is silenced, and lighting is subdued.
Image: St-HubertImage: St-Hubert
In the realms of marketing and entertainment, the value of calmness is frequently underestimated. This leaves many pondering where they might find environments that cater to their specific needs for comfort and tranquility. As a result, a growing number of people are actively seeking out less sensory-aggressive environments for their shopping and dining experiences.
The modern consumer landscape is characterized by a barrage of sensory input, driven by companies’ relentless efforts to engage their customers. These businesses are adept at identifying, anticipating, and fulfilling customer needs, crafting highly immersive experiences. For example, a grocery store might employ vibrant displays, enticing aromas, and interactive elements, while a restaurant meticulously curates its lighting, music, and décor to enhance the dining ambiance. Such strategies are designed to capture and retain customer attention, fostering a sense of belonging and satisfaction.
However, this intense engagement can lead to sensory overload. With an abundance of stimuli—ranging from colorful advertisements and background music to digital screens and promotional materials—customers can become overwhelmed. The intention to cater to every conceivable need and preference results in environments saturated with information and choices, complicating the decision-making process. While these efforts aim to make customers feel valued and connected, the sheer volume of sensory input can sometimes have the opposite effect, inducing fatigue and decision paralysis. Consequently, the very strategies designed to build loyalty and attention can inadvertently alienate some customers.
Therefore, a shift in the approach to sensory stimuli is welcomed by many. In an era where instant information is the norm, businesses striving to remain competitive often inundate customers with constant updates. However, this can be counterproductive. A growing number of people are rejecting the notion that they must be constantly bombarded with information and sensory input.
Efforts to make food retail and service more inclusive are commendable, benefiting both retailers and food service establishments that can adapt to these needs. In the food industry, diversifying the menu, such as by adding plant-based options, is one approach. Equally important is creating an environment conducive to a diverse range of sensory preferences.
In essence, calm and serenity in public spaces are underrated, but that is slowly changing. This evolution represents a significant step forward, and more businesses should consider adopting such practices where feasible.
Retail Insider is streamlining its Canadian retail news from around the web to include a handful of top news stories that can be viewed quickly during the day. Here are the top stories from the past three days.
OpenShine, a new division of OpenRoad Auto Group, is bringing the first-ever Tommy’s Express Car Wash to Canada with a location to be launched in Brampton next year.
Christian Tjia
OpenShine hopes to open the brand in the summer of 2025 with more locations to come. Three additional Ontario-based locations are already in the works – St. Thomas, London and Waterloo.
Christian Tjia, Operations Manager, OpenShine, said there is currently nothing quite like the upscale car wash service in Canada that Tommy’s Express Car Wash provides.
“There is a lot of potential, and we can’t wait for customers to get a first look very soon,” he said.
Groundbreaking photo ID: L-R: Ryan Essenburg, President and CIO, Tommy’s Express Car Wash; Christian Tjia, Operations Manager, OpenShine; Alex Lemmen, CEO, Tommy’s Express Car Wash; Moe Saboune, Director, Project Development, OpenRoad Group; Tom Essenburg, Founder and Chairman, Tommy’s Express Car Wash; and Gaurav Manhas, Director, Corporate Affairs and General Consul, OpenRoad GroupTommy’s Express Car Wash (Image: OpenShine)
With more than 200 locations across the United States, Tommy’s Express Car Wash is known as innovators of the modern-day car wash platform, featuring a free-standing car wash tunnel with record-breaking power and processing ability – creating a smarter, cleaner, and greener car wash experience. It was named #7 on the 2023 Professional Car Wash and Detailing Magazine Top 50 Conveyor Car Washes brands list.
“They’ve got over 50 years of experience in car washes. Back in about 2015, 2016 they started franchising their car washes. They’ve grown to about 200 locations across the United States. So it’s actually one of the fastest growing franchises in the U.S.,” said Tjia. “They have a beautiful product.
“OpenShine is a new group that was created from the overall OpenRoad Group which is a mainly automotive retailer group based in B.C., Ontario and Washington State. OpenShine is a new business that’s been created that’s kind of adjacent to the core business of OpenRoad.
“It’s a complementary business so we can bring our customers a full service from purchasing a car to servicing their car and now finally being able to wash their car in between their dealer visits . . . It’s a new opportunity to bring this new elevated car wash experience that currently isn’t really developed here. The Canadian market is 10 years behind the American market in terms of the offerings for car washes.”
Tommy’s Express Car Wash (Image: OpenShine)
Key Tommy’s Express Car Wash highlights include belt conveyors, free vacuums and mat washers (including a first-to-market moulded mat washer), auto-entry via license plate scanners for monthly club members, and special Detail Kits for additional interior cleaning.
Ryan Essenburg
“OpenRoad Auto Group is one of Canada’s leaders in the automotive industry, and we are pleased to partner with OpenShine to launch Tommy’s Express Car Wash in Canada for the very first time,” said Ryan Essenburg, President and CIO of Tommy’s Car Wash Systems. “Car wash technologies have seen vast advancement in development especially with belt conveyors, app-based club memberships, and high volume processing tunnel speed – all of which sets Tommy’s Express Car Wash apart from others.”
Tjia said the company has a number of car washes in the pipeline that should be opening up in the next few years.
The first location will be a 110-foot tunnel.
“Looking into the future, we’re trying to expand as much as possible. As much as the market can support,” he said. “So for example, in London, we’re looking to be at least three to four washes there. Each of our core markets we want to be able to have enough car washes that our customers feel like they’re getting value out of their membership program. If you’re a member of Tommy’s Express you can visit any wash and be able to get the same quality, the same experience, whichever wash you go to.
“We’re really looking to grow throughout all of southern Ontario for now and then in the future we are also looking at expanding further west as well.
“We’re really focused on our customer satisfaction and our customer experience with these car washes. We’re trying to improve from your standard gas station tunnel . . . And I think one thing that makes Tommy’s unique is when we say unlimited washing for our members, we actually mean unlimited washing for our members.”
